Discovery of Romance Episode 1 Recap
> Discovery of Romance Recap
Ten years ago, Xia Tian’s first love with Xu Zehao was a case of love at first sight. She remembered not caring about being the one to take the initiative or feeling embarrassed, only wanting to boldly express her feelings. Xu Zehao was drawn to her open, generous, and straightforward nature, finding her truly lovely. Their five-year relationship was happy and compatible both mentally and physically.
Even after five years apart, Xu Zehao's memories of her remained vivid, and he felt he had become incapable of love, unable to compromise with other women. Xia Tian, however, believed she had put more effort into the relationship and felt he hadn't truly invested himself. She stated that she was the one who ended things.
While Xu Zehao still entertained thoughts of meeting her and being friends, Xia Tian dismissed the idea, asserting she had enough friends and, more importantly, a perfect boyfriend, Guan Xin. Xu Zehao wondered about Xia Tian's current life, if she was married or had a boyfriend. On the morning of her 30th birthday, Xia Tian woke up in Xu Zehao’s bed.
As Guan Xin called, announcing his arrival at her apartment downstairs with a surprise, Xia Tian panicked, desperately trying to send him away. She first claimed her roommates, Xiao Song and Donghao, were fighting, making the atmosphere at home unpleasant. However, Xiao Song and Donghao, returning from their morning run, unexpectedly appeared, inadvertently exposing her lie by revealing she hadn't been home all night.
Xia Tian then tried another excuse, saying she was at her mother’s place to care for her ailing mother. But her mother then arrived at the apartment with a birthday gift, further dismantling Xia Tian's story and forcing her to hang up on Guan Xin. Recalling the events of ten days prior, Xia Tian and Xiao Song were struggling to meet rent and were deep in designing a wine cabinet for a demanding client.
The client had initially requested a design that was "low-key yet high-key, simple yet lavish, concise yet with a touch of extravagance," aiming for a blend of Eastern and Western styles, quaint yet modern. He eventually decided he simply wanted a "gold dragon" on the cabinet. Xia Tian reminded Xiao Song their motto was simply "endure" in such situations.
Just then, Xiao Song received a message from Donghao revealing that Guan Xin was going on a blind date that afternoon, with a stern warning not to tell Xia Tian. Abandoning their motto, Xia Tian and Xiao Song rushed to the coffee shop to confront him. At the cafe, Xia Tian sat at an adjacent table to Guan Xin and his date, planning to eavesdrop.
She overheard Guan Xin's date, who asked about his preferences for girlfriends, knowing he was a plastic surgeon. Guan Xin replied he didn't need someone perfect, just compatible, and mentioned he and his current girlfriend were getting along well. Xia Tian, feeling increasingly agitated, began typing a note on her phone to pass to the person opposite Guan Xin, explaining her boyfriend was on a blind date behind her back and asking for cooperation.
To her shock, she realized the person was Xu Zehao, her ex-boyfriend, who greeted her with a "Long time no see." Guan Xin's date further inquired about "her own" looks, which prompted Guan Xin to praise "her" beauty multiple times. Xia Tian, thinking of Xu Zehao, mentally chastised him for being as "conceited, indifferent, and inconsiderate" as ever. When Guan Xin’s date suggested their parents, who worked at the same hospital, should have dinner together, Xia Tian erupted.
She confronted Guan Xin, accusing him of going on a blind date behind her back despite their good relationship. She declared their breakup and splashed a glass of water on Xu Zehao. As she stormed out and hailed a taxi, Xu Zehao, still dripping wet, softly told her, "I've always missed you." Moments later, Guan Xin received an urgent call, requiring him to rush back to the hospital due to a patient dispute.
In the taxi, Xia Tian realized she had mistakenly taken Xu Zehao’s phone. She called his assistant, Yu Hui, demanding her phone be returned immediately. However, Xu Zehao, through his assistant, childishly insisted Xia Tian come to retrieve it herself. That evening, Xia Tian found herself at Youwu Pub, drinking heavily. She confided in the owner, expressing her heartbreak over Guan Xin's blind date. She reminisced about meeting Guan Xin at the same bar.
Xiao Song had introduced him as a handsome "ladies' man" from the hospital, known for being gentle. Xia Tian recalled joking that handsome men were often playboys but then conceded that looks didn't necessarily equate to infidelity. She and Xiao Song had planned to abstain from dating for a while. Guan Xin had asked Xia Tian if she would consider dating him if he were the right person, and then specifically if "he" could be that person.
That night, they had continued drinking at a nearby park. Now, Xia Tian lamented how Guan Xin had praised his blind date as "pretty" and "a great person" to her face, accusing him of being greedy. She was furious and deeply embarrassed by the day's events, especially having made such a scene in front of Xu Zehao, whom she considered "arrogant, conceited, and supercilious."
As Xu Zehao arrived at Youwu Pub to return her phone, a heavily intoxicated Xia Tian, believing him to be a hallucination, slapped him once. She then tried to hand him a stray dog she had found, but Xu Zehao recoiled, explaining he was allergic to dog hair. Xia Tian, convinced she was dreaming because "Xu Zehao would never talk like that" or appear in her dreams, even though she missed him, insisted she needed to use the bathroom immediately.
Xu Zehao drove her to his place, tolerating her urgent pleas for speed and her discomfort in the passenger seat. At his house, she struggled to remember her own address or even Xiao Song's phone number. Mistaking Xu Zehao for Guan Xin, she tearfully confronted him again, asking why he had gone on a blind date behind her back. Xu Zehao apologized as she drifted off to sleep on his sofa.
Overcome with emotion, he decided to let her stay the night, leading to an awkward situation the following morning. The next morning, Xia Tian woke up confused, questioning Xu Zehao about why she was at his house and what had happened. He found it a pity she couldn't remember, describing the previous night as "very beautiful." He asked if she would rather pretend nothing happened, given her boyfriend.
He then provocatively told her she had been "so passionate" the night before, making him reluctant to send her back to her boyfriend. When she demanded to know why he hadn't sent her home, reminding him she knew Xiao Song and Donghao and had a boyfriend, Xu Zehao simply replied that he didn't want to, as he had long desired to spend a night alone with her. He then asked if she had missed him since their breakup. Xia Tian curtly replied, "No," to which he admitted, "I did."
